


Joykill didn't know sleeping could be comfortable

by Kanervakani



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Family, Fluff, Post-Apocalypse, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 23:28:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15035666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kanervakani/pseuds/Kanervakani
Summary: For a prompt on instagram, Joykill + the word hammoc. Joykill and Kulta come across a nice trader and get one from her, and then its just like fluffy family stuff. Sue me.





	Joykill didn't know sleeping could be comfortable

¨ How much for this? ¨ Joykill and the trader shifted their heads towards the soft shout in unison. It came from behind the spider legged caravan, no doubt from Kulta. Almost instantly after stopping the odd apparatus she had started looking around the carrier. She so often got curious in things and mechanisms Joykill had never batted an eye at. Even the trader had been unsure how it worked; saying that her niece was the one who put it back together back home. 

Joykill had been left to talk with the trader alone; about news and if she actually had anything the travelers needed. ¨ Just a second- ¨ the trader huffed, having to lift the hems of her long fur coat to be able to waddle through the tall snow. Joykill already liked her; she had spunk. She was clearly from south, moving awkwardly in the thick white snow cover, and wearing what Joykill considered a bit too much even for a human. She was short, only reaching the colossals stomach, but had no fright in her dark eyes. They were the only thing Joykill could see behind the wraps.

Joykill followed her having no trouble keeping up. Turning around the corner of the wooden boat suspended on the metallic, sharp legs, Joykill could already see Kulta stumbling towards them, clearly flustered about making them walk all the way to her instead of the other way. She had something in her arms; it had colorful fabric wrapped around two pieces of wood, with some kind of ropes strewn about. 

Faster than Kulta who was going straight for the trader, Joykill stopped her in her tracks and curiously picked up the large object. The fabric was nice, sturdy, with almost no wear and lovely warm colors in a striped patter. Whatever it was, Joykill decided it was a good quality whatever. 

¨ So, what is it? ¨ she asked, reaching for opening end. Kulta didn’t have that surprised face every time Joykill asked this anymore. There had been no malice or pity to it, in fact Kulta had always looked adorably happy to be able to help with something, even if it was informational.

¨ A hammock. ¨

¨ What does it do? ¨

¨ You suspend it between two trees and sleep in it. It’s like a mattress but in air, ¨ Kulta explained with a small smile. 

The joy from seeing Kultas little smirk under the large hood she was wearing was overwhelmed by the confusion Joykill felt at the robot wanting to get the damn thing. She sneered with a raised eyebrow, asking ¨ why do we need it? ¨ Kulta looked a bit taken aback, and Joykill felt worry bubble in her chest. Was she being rude somehow? Kulta had said she didn’t need anything to rest on; she could even sleep standing up, and Joykill had slept on the ground for years. 

The trader had taken a couple of steps back, clearly taking this as a moment to let the couple bicker about their purchases. She played around with some objects hanging down the side of the boat, pretending that she wasn’t trying to hear the travelers talk.

Suddenly, yet as gently as always, Kulta reached for the strap going over Joykills chest and pulled her to eyelevel and very close. Joykill reflectively could feel a dumb smile spread on her face- she could feel the robots’ breath, or ventilation as she had explained, on her face, just as cold as the autumn breeze, and see the dark, big eyes that she rarely got to see anymore from under the hood. She wished for a moment to get even closer, and thought that if Kulta had kissed her now, Joykill would have traded her favorite skull piece for whatever she wanted to get- sadly, things weren’t as such. Before Joykill could even feel her face get warmer, Kulta whispered: ¨ look, I didn’t want to say this because you always seem so embarrassed, but the reason you keep getting UTIs is because you sit and sleep on literal ice like all the time. ¨

Joykills smile turned into a frown. Kulta was right, but it was so hard to admit to having any weakness. The time Joykill had been bested by a large nasta pig, she could barely look Kulta in the eye when she was patching up the awkwardly situated teeth marks on Joykills back. She knew Kulta thought this to be silly, but weakness was something you couldn’t have in the wasteland.

¨ Fine, ¨ Joykill huffed in admittance, ¨ but it’s just going to weigh us down. ¨ Kulta pursed her lips a bit. Joykill would have given anything for the courage to be able to say how adorable she looked. ¨ I’ve told you I can carry things. I’ll just keep it on my back. It’s not that heavy, ¨ she continued persuading. 

¨ We don’t have anything to trade for it, ¨ Joykill said lowering her eyebrows, clearly trying to crack this puzzle. ¨ I have 30 cuttings! ¨ Kulta said with a raised voice. She was trying her best to stand her ground- something shed tried to learn lately.

Joykill bit her lip. Indeed; Kulta had insisted on starting to earn the little metal squares that traders accepted as currency. Joykill had never had need for them, but Kulta had patiently cleaned one of the heron skulls and sold it. She had even bargained for it. Sudden warmth filled the colossal, as she realized the android was trying her best just to help, even wanting to use her hard-earned money on Joykills comfort.

Yet she didn’t have time to thank her; Joykill could almost feel how the traders’ ears had perked. In a voice louder than necessary, she exclaimed: ¨ you spent ten on that salted fish, remember? You have 20. ¨ 30 cuttings was way too much for the hammock, and Joykill didn’t want Kulta to spend it all on something for the colossal. 

¨ What are you- ¨ Kulta mumbled loosening her grip on the strap and flinching when Joykill nodded towards the trader. ¨ Oh- right, you’re right, ¨ she said in a surprised voice, softly smiling. It was odd how much Kulta liked telling little lies. She never did to Joykill; she couldn’t if she wanted to, Joykill recognized the soft twitch of her lips after staring at them for hours. Kulta had told her that it was simply because before she couldn’t do it. Joykill never quite understood it but found herself smiling whenever she saw that twitch. 

The trader sighed defeatedly, saying ¨ it’s a fine hammock but for you two, 20 is enough. ¨

\---

Joykill pulled as hard as she could on the last knot, wanting to make sure the rope wouldn’t slide down when the hammock was in use. She looked back to Kulta, who was looking at her as if she thought Joykill could have snapped the tree in two like that. 

¨ Good? ¨ 

¨ Yeah, try it out, ¨ Kulta answered with a lopsided smile. She was poking the small fire with a stick in one hand, and the other arm occupied by a large baby fiddling with the grooves that framed Kultas hairline. 

Joykill moved over to the fabric, sitting on it carefully; almost tipping over but keeping her balance. She huffed, turning sideways, and laid down.

¨ Comfy? ¨ the android asked, raising up from her crouched position. Joykill cursed how right Kulta had been. She felt a bit wobbly and uncertain, but light, and there were no rocks or raises poking at her like on the ground. 

¨ Yup, ¨ Joykill admitted with a smile, moving her arms to reach towards Kulta in a clear sign of asking for her child. 

¨ Be careful, ¨ Kulta said with a worried tone but laid the baby on Joykills chest.

First petting the top of her hair, Joykill started to gently open the small buns Freyjas hair was always in. Kulta turned around, mumbling something about a comb, which she went to fetch from the bag on the other side of the fire. She brought the whole bag back, looking around in it and after finding what she was looking for, gave the comb to Joykill. 

With the upmost softness, the colossal started cleaning out any tangles in the baby’s soft hair while Frey had turned her attention to playing with Joykills nose, pinching it and moving it from side to side as much as the tough gristle let her. 

Quietly Kulta folded one of their blankets into a small square and set it down into the snow next to the hammock. She sat down, crossed her legs, facing the fire and simply watched there. 

When Joykill was done with Freyjas hair, she tied it back into those buns. The baby had already gotten bored of her nose, but too sleepy to do anything else, and simply laid there, clearly enjoying the warmth of her mother. Joykill silently gave Kulta the comb back and listened to their bag rustle when the android put it back. 

Everything was silent for a moment aside from the soft whirring from Kulta. Joykill had began to liken it to the humming of a human being and found great comfort in it. 

Joykill slowly moved her hand to rest on Kultas head and started to follow the carved shapes with her fingertips like Freyja had just done. Kulta flinched slightly, but then leaned her head back.

¨ Say, did everyone sleep in hammocks in the time before? ¨ Joykill asked in a whisper as to not wake Freyja up.

Kulta was silent for a moment. ¨ No. They were always in the yard for leisurely time. Most people slept in beds. ¨

Those Joykill had heard of. Actually, she had seen ones, in Remogogues house, but she had never stayed long enough to sleep in one. 

¨ With pillows, right, ¨ she mumbled, blinking. She couldn’t see the smile spreading onto Kultas lips. They were quiet for a while again. 

¨ You know, ¨ Kulta began with a slow pause, ¨ there were also alarm clocks, ¨ soft pause, ¨ and slippers. ¨

Joykill turned her head to look at Kulta. ¨ What? ¨she whispered with a soft laugh. ¨ Alarm clocks would wake you up at the right time, and you would put slippers on at home to keep your feet warm, ¨ Kulta continued. Joykill looked over to her bare feet. Cold feet must have been a human thing. 

¨ Where were they in a hurry to wake up to? ¨ Joykill questioned in a soft sleepy voice. 

¨ You know, I understand it less and less by each day, ¨ Kulta said. She sounded heartbroken, yet oddly comforted at the same time. Joykill looked back at her. She wanted to know what the robot meant- but each time she asked when she was at her most sensitive, Kulta simply asked if it was ok if she’d turn off for a moment. Joykill turned to look at the the clouded, dark sky that cried a constant stream of sparse snow everywhere.

For a moment she wished she would never be in a hurry to go anywhere like them. She wished she could follow the grooves in Kultas head forever, that she could hold Frey on her stomach forever. Everything was softer this way, everything was better than it had ever been, and it frightened Joykill. Would this be better than anything in the future too? Before her fear started growing, the heaviness of sleep began to become too much. Eyes closed, she repeated her wish in her mind until she couldn’t and fell asleep.


End file.
